Historical Context
for the Immigration
of John and William Rayment

by Robert Scott RaymondRevised 18 February 2001

In trying to answer the question as to when and why John
and William (and Elizabeth) came to New England, I'm examining the context in which they came. Who were their
neighbors? What connections do those around them have with Glastonbury, Charleton Mackrell, or
other places close by? Who did they marry? Are there families that arrived
in New England that had Raymond/Rayment connections back in England?

Theories

I have several (unproven) conjectures as to why they came to New England. They are interrelated, so several might be
true.

Family ties with the Scruggs family.

Other
Raymonds/Rayments that had connections to
New England. Some of these might have been fishermen.

Connections
to Reverend John White, puritan preacher in Dorchester
or other puritan connection. Dorchester, Dorset is about 35 miles south of
Glastonbury, Somerset.

Non-puritan
connection with
the Dorchester Company, West Country merchants, or
London. Puritan connections are shown in purple.

Some
connection with neighbors in the
West Counties prior to their immigrating or with their neighbors in New
England after immigrating. See a map of North Beverly where they
settled, to see their New England neighbors. Also, see a table of immigrants
that might possibly have Rayment connections. Scruggs connections
are shown in green.

Some connection
with Sir. Ferdinando Gorges or his son, Robert Gorges. Or a connection with the Company
of Laconia.

Sources are referenced by (source number : page number). A list of source
numbers is given after the Chronology.

Chronology

Date

Event

abt 1590

Thomas Scruggs is born about 1590, probably in St. Sepulchre's Parish,
London. (3:393-400) (Thomas' sister is later identified as Margaret Raymond. See 9 Sep
1647.)

Before 1619

Thomas Scruggs marries Margery _____ before 1619. Some time before 1619/20
he settled at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England where he was a butcher.
(3:393-400)

1622

Roger Conant sails aboard 'Ann' bound for Plymouth. Moves to Nantasket.
Invited to be governor
of Cape Ann station. (1:3) Roger is from East Budleigh, Devonshire
or St. Lawrence, Jewry, London. (14:20,100)

1623

John Balch set out from
Horton, Somerset under the leadership of Captain Robert Gorges
. Roger Conant leaves Plymouth,
establishes long association with John Balch to plant an agricultural
haven for Puritans. (1:89)

John Balch is said to have come from
Bridgewater, Somerset. (13:26)

1623

Dorchester company of England founded the Cape Ann station for fishing and for
puritans. Roger Conant
governor.(1:2)

Abt 1623

John Balch, Conant, Woodberry
and Palfreys came to Cape Ann. (1:3) John Woodbury is said to have
come from Somersetshire, in England. (13:28)

John Woodbery and William Trask
return to England to ask aid of Dorchester Company. (1:7)

19 March 1627

Dorchester
Company transfers to a group of Puritans in
London and West Country merchants and
noblemen all territory from 3 miles north
of the Merrimac River to three miles south of the Charles River. The
full name of the company is, "the New England Company for a Plantation
in Massachusetts Bay." Matthew Cradock might have suggested John Endecott
as Governor. (1:7)

The Council established at Plymouth for the
planting, ruling, ordering and governing of New England, had, by a deed
indented under the common seal, bearing date March 19, 1627, bargained and
sold unto some knights and gentlemen about Dorchester,
namely, Sir Henry Roswell, Sir John Young, knights, Thomas Southcoat, John
Humphry, John Endicot, and Simon Whetcomb, gentlemen, that part of
New England that lies between Merrimack and Charles river, in the bottom
of the Massachusetts Bay. And not long after, by the means of Mr. White, the foresaid gentlemen were brouyght into
acquaintance with several other religious persons of like quality in and
about London, such as Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Dudley, Mr. Cradock,
and Mr. Goffe, and Sir Richard Saltonstall . (13:28-9)

"Some of the discreeter sort [of the puritans], to
avoid what they found themselves subject unto, made use of their friends
to procure from the Council for the Affairs of New-England to settle a
colony within their limits; to which it pleased the thrice-honored Lord of
Warwick to write to me, then at Plymouth, to condescend that a patent
might be granted to such as then sued for it. Whereupon I gave my
approbation so far forth as it might not be prejudicial to my son Robert Gorges's intersts, whereof he had a patent under
the seal of the Council." Sir Ferdinando Gorge, in
Mass. Hist. Coll. xxvi. 80. (13:30)

The ship 'Abigail' sets sail from Weymouth, England, bringing more settlers, including
John Endecott/Endicott, William Trask, Richard
Brackenbury, John Woodbery, his brother William, his
son Humphrey, and Thomas Scruggs. The ship arrived
at Salem, Massachusetts on 6 Sept. 1628. This probably brought the number
of settlers in Naumkeag to more than 50.(1:8; 11:17)

1629

New England Company letter encouraging
assimilation of Old Planters, but discourage them from
growing tobacco. Reverend Francis Higginson one of three ministers who came to Salem. Elected
teacher of the Salem Church, Samuel Skelton, pastor.(1:10-11)

1631

William Raymond , Portsmouth. (5:240)

1633

John Raymond writes letter
to Mr. Ambrose Gibbons at Newichawannock (Provincial Papers, New
Hampshire, Bouton, vol. I, page 76) He mentions "Old Father Peach," who
owed him 2 lb. 3 oz. of beaver. (9:159) Ambrose Gibbons was "factor" for
the company of Laconia. He came to Portsmouth, N. H. in 1630; he afterwards lived
in what was called Oyster river. (16:92)
(Is there a connection with John Peach of Symondsbury who settled in
Salem?)

1634

Reverend John White
lists his associates in the venture to settle New England from 1623
to 1628, including John Connant of Lymington and
John Raymond (of London?). (Our John Raymond
would probably have been too young.) The list is to be found in the
uncalendared Proceedings of the Court of Requests of Charles I, Bundle 64,
Public Record Office, London. (4:12-14)

Feb. 1634/5

Thomas Scruggs and his
wife were cited to appear before the Archdeaconry Court of Norwich,
probably for failure to attend church. They did not appear, and at the
following session Mrs. Scruggs was fined 7s. 8d. and costs. In the margin
of the record are the words: "att New England." (Act Book, Archdeaconry of
Norwich.) There was undoubtedly a religious reason for
the emigration of Thomas Scruggs and his wife . (3:400)

14 May 1634

Richard Raymond becomes a freeman in Salem.(5:240; 10:444)

1635

Capn Traske, Jno Woodbery, mr
Connant, Peter Palfrey, & John Balch granted 1000 acres. Roger
Conant, John Woodbery, and John Balch probably move to Bass River Side soon after receiving
their land grant.(1:12-13)

2 Sep. 1635

Thomas Scruggs sworn a freeman in Salem. (3:400)

1636

Richard Rayment and Judith
Rayment admitted to 1st Church of Salem.
(18)

Thomas Scruggs's first
land grant of 300 acres was returned by him to the town in 1636, and Salem
tradition states that it was the projected site of the college which was
later established at Cambridge. In its stead he received a farm of 200
acres in what later became Beverly, originally granted to Capt. William Trask.(1:13,72; 3:400)

1637

William Rayment born in Glastonbury.(6:)

1637

Salem buys Connonts
Salem-side house next to John
Ffisk for old Mr William Plase. At this time his Bass River-side house was probably finished and occcupied.(1:14)

1639

Edward Bishop came to Salem.(1:85)

1640

William Raymond resident of Salem, or
arrived in Salem, or received as inhabitant of Salem, or stated to be "of
Salem." (18)

1641

John Woodbery died.(1:50)

?

Peter Palfrey never settled on his grant. He sold
his share to Farmer William Dodge.(1:13. 2:20)

16 April 1645

The will of Anne Coggeshall of Castle Hedingham, Essex, England states
her son, John Coggeshall, was dwelling in New
England; her son-in-law, Richard Raymond,
was deceased, and her grandchildren by her daughter Anne Raymond were
Henry Raymond, Anne Raymond (eldest daughter), John, Richard, and
Elizabeth. The Visitation of Essex, 1634, Publication of the Harleian
Society, vol. 13, p. 475 shows that Anne Coggeshall married Richard
Raymond, son of Henry and Joane (Perry) of Much Dunmow, Essex, England.
(4:557-8)

1646

Hannah Bishop born to Edward
Bishop and Hannah Moore.(6:)

1648

John Balch died.(1:92)

9 Sep 1647

Thomas Scrugg's sister is
identified as Margaret Raymond, widow, in the
will of William Scruggs, a brother of Thomas. (3:393-400)

Spring 1651

John Rayment, William, and Elizabeth
come to America. John is about 36,
Elizabeth about 32, and William is
about 14 years old.(1:72; 7:1)

abt 1651

John Rayment married Rachel Scruggs, daughter of Thomas Scruggs.(1:64) [Is there any possibility this might have happened in England?]

1653

50 acres of land granted to John
Raymond (8:697)

24 June 1654

Mr. Scruggs died in the
spring of 1654, and his widow, Margery Scruggs, conveyed land to her
son-in-law, John Rayment. Roger Conant
William Dodg Benjamin Baulch & John Ramant
executors to Thomas Scruggs of Salem.(1:64,
72; 1:13)

1660

Edward Bishop was a constable.(1:85)

abt 1665?

William Rayment married Hannah, the daughter of the elder Edward Bishop.
William is 28, Hannah
is 19.(1:85)

1668

William Rayment and Peter Woodbery are conveyed small lots of John
Rayment 's land on upper
end of Balch Street.(1:78)

1668

Beverly incorporated as a town. Previously, it
was considered part of Salem.(2:15)

Lists of the Livinge and Dead in Virginia Febr:
16th 1623.[i.e. 162xxx]: Aņo: 1680. ALIST of the Inhabitants in and about
the Towne of St Michaells wth their children hired Seruants, Prentices,
bought Seruants and Negroes. JNo RAYMON 1 [child](12:441)

Sources

The Old Planters of
Beverly in Massachusetts and the thousand acre grant of 1635, by Alice Gertrude
Lapham, 1930.

History of Beverly, Civil and
Ecclesiastical, From Its Settlement in 1630 to 1842, by Edwin M.
Stone, 1843.

English Origins of New England Families, vol. II.

English Origins of New England Families, Vol. I.

A
Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England,
1620-1675 , by John Farmer, 1829.

Ancestral File (www.familysearch.org ). This
source is known to contain lots of inaccuracies, so the accuracy of this data
should be questioned.

Raymond Gen.II

Dawes-Gates ancestral lines, by Mary Walton Ferris, 1931.

The Real Founders of New England, by Charles Knowles Bolton, 1929.

History of New England from 1630 to 1649 by John Winthrop,
Esq., Vol. II, by James Savage, 1853.